Right stance in sea disputes

As an outsider, the United States has pressured China from time to time to negotiate with some Association of Southeast Asian Nations members on a legally binding code of conduct in the South China Sea. This month, the US even issued a press statement criticizing China for upgrading the administrative level of Sansha city.

Besides, the US has urged countries involved in the South China Sea disputes to abide by the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, which it has mistaken as panacea for maritime disputes.

The China-ASEAN Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea clearly states that sovereign states should resolve their territorial and jurisdictional disputes through friendly consultations and negotiations.